MIDDLESBROUGH boss Garry Monk is hoping Rudy Gestede will be back in action before the end of the month.

Gestede is the only senior player currently on Boro's injured list, having suffered a leg injury in training at the start of September.

He will not be involved in Saturday's Championship game at Barnsley, and is yet to return to training with the rest of the first-team squad.

However, his recovery is ahead of schedule, and Monk is hoping he will be available in the next three weeks, potentially enabling him to face Reading, Hull and Sunderland before the next international break.

Monk said: "The international lads have all come back fine. Rudy is the only player still out, but he’s doing really well.

"Timeframe wise, we’re probably looking more towards the end of the month. It might be into the start of next month, but we’ll see, it’s a daily process.

"He’s actually ahead of where we thought he might be, so it could even be before the end of the month. We’ll see.

"He’s moving forward with the medical guys here, and then once he’s back out onto the grass, it’ll be a much clearer process.

"There are tick boxes he needs to get to, but hopefully it won’t be long before he’s back into training and playing."